Lost Slayers
by Memet
Summary: BtVSSG1 (immediately after 'Chosen') There are now hundreds of new slayers, and Buffy discovers that her destiny as the only Chosen One may be over -- but her destiny is still far from complete...even if it means her death...
1. Prologue

A/N:  If you've read my other stuff you're probably thinking --- why in the hell is she starting yet another story, she can't keep the ones she's got now updated.  Is this because I have lost my job and have a lot of free time?  No.  I am coming close to finishing one of my other stories?  No.  So I can get some bloody sleep at night without having this story replaying over and over in my mind? Yes!

Title: The Lost Slayers

Series:  Buffy the Vampire Slayer (after 'Chosen')/Stargate SG1 (after 'Heroes')

Summary:  Instead of One, there are thousands of Slayers throughout the world – but is it Buffy's destiny as the Chosen One over with, or is her destiny still incomplete?  And what if death is the price for this destiny?

Disclaimer --  ::sighs::  I would love to say that I own Buffy (less prissy Buffy, more kickass Buffy) and the next season of Stargate would start already ::shakes angry fist::  But, sadly, I don't – so quit rubbing it in my face!

Prologue

Below her, Willow Rosenburg could hear the battle raging on between the Potentials and the First's army.  She only hoped that Buffy was still alive, and that there were enough Potentials left for this to make a difference.  Willow held the Scythe in her hand and began to chant.

The power flowed through Willow, and in that moment she felt connected to every potential…no, _Slayer_, on Earth.  She felt the smile tug on her lips as she watched the oncoming pitch; the rush of adrenaline as the sudden power rushed through her body.     

But being only mortal, no matter how powerful, the witch couldn't remember every Slayer. 

So amongst the immediate need of survival, she forgot about some of the visions.

Like a new slayer being beaten by her father, too afraid to use her new power.  Or another lying shivering amongst the garbage in an alley – a knife clutched tightly in her hands, hoping that tonight she would be able to sleep.  And another girl watching wanna-be parents gather around the cute younger children, as she and the other older children gathered together – knowing that they would never leave the orphanage with a family.

Instead, the witch gathered with her friends at the edge of the crater that once was Sunnydale; the place where they had loved and lost, died and lived, and had both been their home and prison.  The only thoughts filling her mind were those of victory, relief, and sadness.

Buffy Summers, the former Chosen One, stood at the edge and looked out.  Behind, she heard someone ask, "What do you want to do now?"

A grin spread across her face.

_What do I want to do now?_

It had been a long time since she had been able to ask herself that question – and know that she had the opportunity to answer it.  In that moment, as _a _Slayer, Buffy's future seemed as wide and free as the crater in front of her.  The feeling of freedom dimmed slightly as she felt a pain grow in her abdomen.  Glancing down, blood soaked through the front of her shirt – the wound she had received while fighting the First began to bleed. 

The strength she had gained while holding the Scythe seemed to flow out with the blood, and Buffy slowly slid to the ground.  Dimly, she could hear voices calling her name, but they all faded as the darkness filled her mind.

Only a single voice remained.

A moment before the darkness took her the Slayer recognized the voice.

_You think you know what is to come?  You have only just begun._

TBC

A/N:  you know the drill, tell me what you think


	2. Ch 1 A Dream

A/N: Totally forgot to thank all my wonderful betas who are helping me with this project!

Chapter 1 – A Dream

An ashen group of teenagers – covered in ripped and bloodied clothes – waited silently in the surgery ward. After Buffy fell unconscious, they had tried desperately to stop the flow of blood. Giles had driven the bus to the closest hospital – a small city a few hours away – while Faith had held cloth after cloth against the wound. Everyone began to panic as they watched Buffy begin to slip away – shocked and confused as to why her Slayer healing wasn't working to heal the wound. Especially since the wound had already been healed once because of the Scythe.

Though small, the hospital staff had handled the emergency efficiently. Within moments, Buffy was in surgery. The surgeons worked furiously, but they couldn't stop the bleeding. They fought back, but in the back of their minds they knew that if they couldn't stop the bleeding – their patient was going to die.

Buffy walked through the desert, immediately recognizing the terrain. She sat on a stone in front of a small fire and waited – knowing she had been summoned. True enough – within moments the wild creature came.

_Covered in dirt, the small figure looked hardly human. But the eyes that bore through Buffy's soul were all too human. The First Slayer stalked towards Buffy, keeping the fire between the two of them. The younger slayer looked around for the interpreter but was startled to hear the First Slayer's voice in her head._

**_Do you know who you are?_**

_Buffy opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She glared at the other Slayer, who just repeated the question._

**_Do you know who you are?_**

****

Opening her mouth again, Buffy tried to answer – but again nothing happened. Frustrated, Buffy nodded her head defiantly.

**What is your duty?**

Buffy shot to her feet, and spoke without realizing it, "My duty is done!"

The First Slayer continued to keep the fire between them, but made no movement of retreat.

**Do you know who you are?**

Groaning, Buffy threw her arms into the air and asked, "Fine! Who am I then?"

**You are the Last and the First. You are the knots on both ends of the rope.**

"I don't understand!"

**Without you, the rope will fray – the line will be undone.**

Buffy stilled. "Are you saying because of me the Slayer line will die? That doesn't make any sense! There are thousands of Slayers now -- thousands!"

Out of the darkness another figure stepped forward – Buffy. The Slayer stared in shock as she stared at the sixteen years old version of herself.

"The Slayer line has always been a chain full of links – each link containing the full power of the chain– with the First Slayer as the anchor. But now it's a rope, with thousands of strands sharing in the strength of the line," the younger Buffy stated.

"So?"

"The magic is flowing without control. Some slayers will get more, and others will become weaker – even go as far as to lose their powers completely. The magic will grow weaker until there is again only one Slayer…but no longer any potentials."

Buffy grew quiet as the implications grew in her mind. It was ironic, she would be the responsible for the destruction of the Slayer line – something she had fought to stop the First from doing.

**Do you know who you are? What is your duty?**

The surgeon cursed. He couldn't understand it, why was the wound continuing to bleed the way it was? The heart monitor flat-lined, and the surgeon shouted out.

"She's flat-lining! Get the paddles!"

Outside the room, several heads shot up as their enhanced hearing caught the surgeon's cry. Tears ran down their faces at the thought of their companion, their leader, their friend lay dying on the operating table. Faith vaulted from her seat suddenly, and left the hallway. The others watched her go, but did nothing to stop her.

Buffy clutched her chest tightly. Why did it hurt all of a sudden?

"It's time," the younger Buffy said quietly.

"Time for what?" the elder asked anxiously. The other two figures walked towards her, and stood silently in front of her.

**To gain what has been lost – the gain what was never had – to gain a new and old destiny.**

"Why me?"

Faith sat on the steps of the hospital, holding a cigarette in her shaking hand. She looked at the hand for a long moment before taking a drag. As much as she had hated the other slayer, it never seemed real that B would ever die. Of course, Faith knew that she had died, but it never seemed a reality. Now, she realized how much she still wanted to say to the older slayer. That she didn't blame her, didn't hate her – just wanted to be understood by her.

Now she may never have the chance.

Faith never noticed the small tear that made its way down her cheek.

Buffy watched the figure of Faith entranced – not caring how she was seeing this – hearing this -- or if it was real. Distantly, the Slayer realized that if it was real – that meant that she was dying. The younger Buffy spoke up.

"Who else would you want to place this burden on?"

They had given up when the heart monitor began to beep again. Startled, they continued their work with renewed dedication. Miraculously, the bleeding began to ebb and the surgeons were able to close the wound. An hour later, an exhausted doctor left the operating room and headed towards the large group.

A young dark haired girl came rushing up, fear evident in her eyes.

"How's my sister? Is she going to be alright?"

The doctor smiled slightly.

"The next twenty four hours are going to be crucial, but the surgery was a success and she's stable."

Everyone heaved a great sigh of relief. Giles thanked the doctor and began to make preparations to find them all a place to stay while Buffy recuperated. Finally, everything seemed like it was going to be okay.

In a room not far away, a young girl laid on her bed. Her eyelids twitched, as she dreamed.

Dreams of death, and life, and rebirth.

TBC

****

****

__


	3. Ch 2 Voices

Chapter 2 – Voices

Three months later 

Buffy Summers walked slowly through the graveyard, idly twirling a stake in her one hand, thinking about the changes to her life in the last few months.     

It had only taken a week for the Slayer to recover from surgery, but everyone still treated her as if she was going to break.  They had decided to head for New York, since Angel seemed to have Los Angeles under control.  A few of the Slayers had gone to visit their families, and Angel had helped them buy an old apartment building so that everyone else could stay together. 

She had finally managed to convince the rest of the gang to go on a vacation.  Willow and Kennedy had gone to visit her parents – as well as look for new Slayers on the way.  Having been connected to the Slayer line, Willow had developed an affinity for detecting the former potentials, though they had no real operation to gather and train the new slayers yet.  Basically, when they were found an experienced slayer volunteered to stay and train them. 

Giles had gone back to England to try and salvage what was left of the Watcher Council.  A little while ago, the surviving Watchers' and their families began to contact him.  Surprisingly, there were quite a few since the First had concentrated on Sunnydale in the last few months.  Xander had tagged along, wanting to get away from everyone for while – to finish grieving for Anya. 

Dawn decided to go to England to finish her high school – wanting to get out on her own.  Giles had spoken with the headmaster of the boarding school he had attended and got her accepted, and at the same time Dawn was training to become a Watcher.  Buffy was happy for her sister, though she still wished that Dawn would choose a path other than that of danger and death.  The Slayer was finally able to accept that her little sister wasn't so little anymore – and given her track record, Dawn was going to outlive her anyways.     

Wood had left for Cleveland with a few of the surviving former potentials to look after the hellmouth on their own.  To Buffy's surprise, Faith had decided to stick around with Buffy instead of heading off.  The older slayer was grateful and the two were finally becoming good friends.  For Buffy, it was like all the anger, and bitterness she had felt for Faith was gone.  The two shared a room in the apartment building, both taking turns training and leading the new slayers.   

Everything was going well – great even -- but…

There was something tugging in the back of Buffy's mind – as if there was something she was supposed to be doing.  Buffy had been feeling this way since she woke up in the hospital.  That had been a surprise; since the last thing she remembered was standing over the crater.  Xander loved to point out that Buffy had died for the fourth time (second time in the hospital).  Whenever Xander mentioned it, the blonde girl felt something tug at her memory – but passed it off as yet another traumatic been-dead experience. 

On the day she had finally been able to leave the hospital, Buffy had stopped and stared at herself in the mirror.  The last eight years had paid their price – her eyes had the look of constant worry: her face thinning from her lack of food.  But staring in the mirror – she didn't see those things.  Her eyes were bright and full of life and she looked sixteen again. 

Buffy figured it was her imagination, since none of the others said anything.  But in the back of her mind, Buffy felt that something _had _changed.  When nothing happened for the next few weeks, Buffy forgot –denied – the feeling, enjoying her new life.

Then the voices came.

It began a month ago; at first Buffy thought she was just hearing the other Slayers in the house, but then she heard them when she was all alone.  In the beginning there were only one or two that came and went.  Now they were a constant hum in her mind – the same voices crying in fear, in happiness, in loneliness, in need.

At times she couldn't make out what was being said, and other times she heard whole conversations.  It reminded her of the time that she had been infected with the aspect of the demon and could read minds.  But she had no idea whose thoughts these were, or where they were coming from. 

Several times she had tried to talk with Faith, or Willow about them.  But something stopped her – some inner voice that told her not to confide in her friends.  The sound of a struggle broke Buffy out of her thoughts.  Breaking into a run, she found the two figures within moments.

The vampire had his game face on, obviously figuring the girl to be an easy meal.  The girl appeared to be around fifteen, with brightly dyed shoulder length red hair and a pale complexion.  There was not a trace of fat on the girl, though she did have muscle, which she used to push the vampire away. 

The vampire lunged at the young girl, who shoved a fist into his face.  Awkwardly done, the punch had the desired effect of causing the demon to pause.  The eldest Slayer watched the new one fight with interest.  It was obvious the girl had no professional training, but was clearly winning the fight through experience in brawling.  But definitely not with the undead kind, since she appeared to not have a stake.

"Here!" Buffy yelled out, tossing the stick to the girl.  She caught it easily and looked at the blond girl in confusion.  The vampire raced at her again and she instinctively shoved it into his chest.  A look of shock crossed her face as her attacker turned into a pile of dust.  Turning to say thanks, she was dimly aware of an object passing by her ear.  She turned just in time to see another burst of dust.

Her rescuer walked towards her smiling. 

"Hi, my name's Buffy."

The younger girl looked at the blonde with suspicion.  She had learned never to trust anyone, no matter how innocent or kind they looked.  That was the first rule of the streets – one she had learned the hard way at a young age.  Even though the blonde girl looked like a preppy valley girl, she moved like a predator.  Living on the streets – she knew how to recognize the predators.  But there was something about this girl that made her feel safe…

"I'm Andy," she said abruptly, looking at the ground.

Buffy's breathe caught as the girl gave her name.  She recognized the voice.

It was one of the ones she heard in her mind. 

TBC


	4. CH 3 Lost

A/N: This probably sucks big time because I am really bad at writing first person. Warning: there is some harsher language in this chapter – so you've been warned.

I am going somewhere with this fic (really) you'll just have to trust me (RUN RUN WHILE YOU STILL CAN!)

Chapter 3 – Lost

Life is fucking weird. One minute I'm sitting in a back alley wondering where I'm going to get my next meal, and now I'm sitting in an all-night diner eating as much as I want – courtesy of a valley Barbie girl.

I hate people who are always going on about their sad and pathetic lives. Everyone has tough breaks, though I will admit that I've had some pretty rough ones. I have no idea who my mom was, though with the way my dad used to tell it, I guess I'm a lot like her.

I guess it could be worse – I could be like my dad.

The bastard could never hold down a job for more than a few weeks – usually getting fired for showing up to work drunk, or never showing up at all. Of course, I was always the one at fault.

I was the reason mom left. I'm the reason he can't keep a job. I'm the reason he drinks all the time. I'm the reason he had to hit me.

When I turned twelve, I figured the streets had to be better than what was going on at home.

First few months I was green; got picked up by the cops a few times, got raped, slashed but I wised up. Began to hang out with a gang, stole to pay my way…and do a few other things. It wasn't much of a family, but it was security. That is until a rival gang decided they wanted our territory. It's not everyday that you get to watch your friends being shot to pieces when moments before they were laughing.

Since then I've been bouncing between juvenile hall and squats, not getting close to anybody – concentrating on staying alive. Then three months ago I was sleeping in an alley when I felt something strange happen.

It was like my whole body was filled with energy, and I felt fucking great. My body has changed; I'm faster and stronger, and it's like I got these senses that warn me about danger. The biggest problem was that I seemed to be in danger a lot more often since the change. These strange guys attack me for no reason – and they look like they've been getting money by acting as human experiments.

Then there are the dreams.

Every night I dream about this girl. I know it's a girl, though I can't really see her, I do remember her eyes. She had really beautiful green eyes. Sometimes she's telling me things about demons and Slayers; other nights she's just there, or singing me a lullaby.

And every night I ask her for help.

And every night she says, "Soon."

The blonde girl, Buffy, is looking down at her coffee, probably wondering why she's feeding a half-starved street urchin. I stop my food inhalation to study her. What was a girl like her doing in a New York graveyard at night? For whatever reason – probably the sound of the fork hitting the plate stopping – the girl looked up.

It was then I noticed her eyes.

Buffy watched Andy eat with amusement. The only other person she has seen eat so much in so little of time was Faith after a good slay.

_Maybe there is more to Faith's H&H theory than I gave her credit for, _she thought.

Sipping her coffee, Buffy realized that she couldn't hear Andy's voice anymore. Not that the other voices had quieted down, but there was definitely one less. Distracted by the hum of voices, it took a moment for Buffy to realize that Andy wasn't eating anymore. Looking up, she found Andy looking at her intently – then her eyes widened in surprise.

_I wonder what that's about?_ Buffy thought, her eyebrows wrinkling in confusion. The expression left Andy's face quickly, and she spoke quickly.

"So, why'd you take me out and feed me? And who was that jerk that turned to dust?"

"Well, I fed you because you looked hungry, and that jerk was a vampire," Buffy replied succinctly, taking another sip of her coffee. She knew that Andy had already met a few demons from what she had heard from the voice in her head, so she wasn't worried about her reaction. She was curious about why Andy was now looking at her with a kind of recognition.

"Vampires? This is a joke right?" Andy asked, trying to gage if the girl really was serious. Now that she listened carefully, Andy recognized the voice as the one from her dreams – and that girl had spoken about demons too. But the red-head hadn't exactly been raised to be trusting of others.

"You know its not a joke, you can feel it can't you? That's because you're a Slayer…just like me."

Andy's eyes narrowed at the girl's last statement. It was the exact same thing her dream-girl had told her – word for word. So if Buffy really _was _her…then did Buffy have dreams about her too? She was about to ask when a cell phone began to ring.

Buffy reached into her pocket and brought out a cell. Andy sat back and listened to the one-sided conversation.

"Hello?"

"I'm about ten minutes away from the apartment."

"Everyone? Willow and Kennedy too?"

"Did they say what it's about?"

"All right, I'll be back in ten…and I've got a newbie with me too."

"Bye."

The Slayer shut off the cell and grinned at her companion.

"Time to go, looks like you're going to get to meet the Scoobie gang sooner than I thought."

Andy followed the blonde and waited until she had paid the bill before asking, "Scoobie gang? As in the really corny cartoon?"

"Hey! They were not completely corny," Buffy protested, which brought a smile to Andy's face. "It's what my friends and I call ourselves – it's something my friend Xander came up with and it sort of stuck. Everyone has kind of scattered the last month and I wasn't expecting anyone back for awhile yet."

Buffy looked serious again, and Andy wondered what it meant but was too nervous to ask her new friend.

Like the blonde said, it only took them ten minutes to reach an apartment building sporting the…um…elegant sign -- Scoobie Hall.

_Geez, looks like they take their nickname pretty seriously, _Andy thought while looking around nervously. They walked down a long hallway until they reached a large room, which from the looks of it had been created by breaking down a few of the walls. Forty heads turned to look at the newcomers, and Andy shifted beside Buffy – who just grinned at everyone and pulled Andy along with her as she headed to a group huddled near the front of the room.

Seeing Buffy, a redheaded woman squealed and pulled the blonde into a tight hug. She let go to allow a man in his forties, another in his early twenties, and a longhaired girl in her late teens to take their turns hugging the short girl. Buffy managed to detach herself and brought the uncomfortable girl forward.

"This is our new slayer, Andy. Andy, this is my Watcher Giles, my best friends Willow and Xander, and my younger sister Dawn."

Andy mumbled a hello, not sure if she trusted these new people, but willing to at least give them the benefit of the doubt for Buffy. The Slayer looked around and frowned.

"Where's Kennedy and Faith?"

"Ah, yes, they're talking with Melissa – one of the slayers from Cleveland," Giles said, wiping his glasses.

Noticing Buffy asked with concern, "Why? What happened?"

"Something not good, B," Faith said as she and Kennedy walked up to the group. "She's completely lost all her slayer powers."

Buffy frowned, feeling the familiar tug in the back of her mind. _Why does this sound familiar?_

"What happened?"

"I've spoken with Wood, and he said that Melissa hadn't had contact with any unusual demons. In fact, she'd been off patrol while she studied for tests," Giles said.

"I've tried everything that I could think of – she's no longer a slayer, and I have no idea what's caused it," Willow finished.

Faith turned to the rest of the slayers.

"As I'm sure you've all been listening, a slayer has completely lost her powers. Unfortunately, this hasn't been the only case. We're getting reports that other slayers have been getting weaker, eventually losing all of their slayer powers. As you've also heard, we have no idea what's causing it, so until we do I don't want anyone patrolling alone."

Faith turned and glared at Buffy who just smiled sheepishly.

"And that includes everyone."

The slayers left the room, talking nervously to each other. Just three months ago they found out they were supernatural warriors, and now it looks like they'll be normal again. They weren't sure if they were happy or not. Temporarily forgotten, Andy leaned against the wall and waited while the Scoobies began to discuss the problem.

"Could this be a problem with the slayer line itself?" Dawn asked, looking around at the slayers. She noticed a strange look crossed her sister's face, but it was gone so quickly she wasn't sure if it had been there at all.

"Perhaps the slayer line was never meant to have more than one slayer at anytime?" Giles thought out loud. Willow suddenly looked stricken.

"What if it's my fault, what if I did the spell wrong and now all the slayers are going to lose their powers and it will be my fault and I totally didn't mean to because I wouldn't want that, but I didn't mean to…" Kennedy put her arms around her girlfriend and ordered her to breathe. Willow did as she was told and gave Kennedy a shaky smile.

The Scoobies began to toss ideas back and forth. After thirty minutes, Faith noticed that Buffy hadn't spoken up since the other slayers had left the hall. She looked around to see Buffy sitting against the wall next to the new slayer, listening to the other talk quietly. Faith had noticed that in the last month Buffy had been talking less – not shutting others out, but not the chatterbox she usually was. The dark slayer would walk into a room to find Buffy sitting alone, staring off into space. It would take a few times for Faith to get Buffy's attention, who would smile and say she hadn't heard her.

Buffy noticed Faith looking at her and tried to smile reassuringly. The blonde was suffering a severe case of déjà vu, as if she had heard everything everyone was saying before. But she just couldn't place from where! For some reason, she had gravitated to where Andy was sitting (trying to blend into the wall). A thought popped into Buffy's mind and during a lull in the conversation she spoke out.

"Why don't we ask the First Slayer?" Buffy asked slowly, to the surprise of the others. It was no secret that Buffy didn't like the First Slayer – and would only ask for her help as a last resort.

It didn't take long for Willow to set up the ritual and soon Buffy found herself in the desert once more.

She started walking until she came to the ring of stones around the fire – only this time there was no fire, just a pile of ash. Buffy looked around but the First Slayer was nowhere in sight. She heard a movement from behind and was shocked to see a sixteen years old version of herself.

"Back again so soon?" her younger self asked cheekily. Buffy frowned.

"Huh?"

"The voices call for you." Buffy stilled and watched the girl warily.

"Who are they?"

"The lost…the loose strands."

"I don't understand."

The younger girl didn't answer right away, but walked over to the ashes and grabbing a fistful and spreading the dust across her hands.

"Do you know who you are?"

Buffy groaned.

"Not this cryptic shit again! Why can't you just say what you mean? Do you get paid by the hour or something?" Buffy asked in frustration. The younger Buffy grinned and walked towards the elder.

"How can I give you the right answers, when you don't ask the right questions?"

"Do you know what's happening to the slayer line?"

"That's not the right question," the girl replied, placing a hand on Buffy's cheek – leaving behind a large smudge of ash.

"Then what's the right question?" Buffy asked, keeping still as the girl continued to touch her face. The younger Buffy moved to the side and suddenly Buffy found herself standing in front of a full-length mirror. She stared at her reflection; taking in the ash on her face, and for a moment it seemed that her image…changed. For a moment her blonde hair had turned black, and her eyes had darkened in colour.

Without taking her eyes from the mirror Buffy asked, "Who am I?"

"You are the Last and the First. You are the knots on both ends of the rope." 

And Buffy remembered.

TBC


	5. Ch 4 Death

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! and for your patience with the plotline.

Chapter 4 – Death

Faith looked around for Buffy, not surprised to find her sparring with the new slayer, Andy. Buffy hadn't spoken to anyone about what she had learned from the First Slayer, except that the problem with the slayers was temporary. Temporary? It had only been three days and already there had been eight cases – that they knew of – of slayers losing their powers. And no matter what they said, Buffy wouldn't give them any details.

Watching Buffy, Faith grew nervous. The older slayer was acting too calm – normally, the slayer would be bugging everyone until a solution was found. It just wasn't like Buffy to accept bad news calmly, and to do nothing about it.

Then there was the new slayer. The two of them had become inseparable in the last few days – too close too soon in Faith's opinion. Especially since Andy was treating everyone else like they had the plague; if she wasn't hanging out with Buffy she disappeared for several hours. Probably as a result of the three of them living together in close quarters; Buffy had refused to let the new slayer stay anywhere but with her and Faith – and Faith wasn't overjoyed with sharing her room and roommate with a practical stranger.

Andy hit the floor hard and groaned. She loved to spar with Buffy, but man she was getting tired of hitting the ground. Looking over to the side, she saw Faith giving her the evil eye. Faith made her nervous, especially since the girl was always glaring at her whenever Andy was with Buffy. The younger girl wanted to explain the situation to Faith, but telling the dark-haired girl that Buffy was her dream girl didn't seem the smart thing to do.

After the ceremony, Buffy had taken Andy to her room, saying they could share until Andy decided what she wanted to do. Walking around the room, Andy smirked as she picked up the small stuffed elephant. This was not the type of room she would expect from a supernatural warrior – but it did suit Buffy perfectly.

"All this a little overwhelming for you?"

Andy sat down on the bed facing Buffy. Taking a deep breath, she replied, "Not really, but I was with my dream girl."

The older slayer became perfectly still, studying Andy intently. Slowly she asked, "Why do you say that?"

"I didn't recognize you at first, but I never got a good look at you. But I recognized your voice and your eyes." Andy looked at Buffy with the same intensity. "You promised you would come for me, and you kept your promise."

Buffy looked away, and slowly made her way to the bed and sat down – continuing to look at the floor. The room filled with silence, and Andy was about to speak when Buffy beat her to it.

"A month ago I started to hear voices, like I was listening in on other peoples' thoughts. I also started having dreams, but I didn't remember them until just now. I didn't know what they meant so I tried to ignore them." Buffy fell silent again, and the younger girl waited patiently for her friend to continue.

"I thought I had beaten destiny, but I guess it's something that can't be beaten – only changed."

_You think you know what's to come? You haven't even begun._

Impulsively, Andy grabbed Buffy's hand.

"You don't have to do it alone." Andy didn't know why she made the offer – especially after a lifetime of looking out only for herself. But at that moment, every instinct she had was telling her to help the older girl. That their destinies were intertwined, if only at this moment.

Andy was startled out of her thoughts as Buffy grabbed her hand and launched her to her feet.

"Hey Faith, did you need something?" Buffy called out, as she wiped off the sweat form her arms.

"Nah, B, just came to see how you were doing."

Buffy rolled her eyes at Faith playfully.

"You're such a worry-wart, Faith!" she complained, but her tone was oddly flat. Faith looked at her sharply, but nothing on the blonde's face gave her away.

"So how about patrol?" Buffy asked brightly, knowing that Faith wouldn't refuse a chance to go patrolling. Faith shrugged and headed out the door, yelling back, "You coming, B?"

Buffy exchanged a serious look with Andy before she jogged after Faith. Andy watched her friend go with a sad look on her face.

Faith and Buffy patrolled, talking about everything and nothing at all.

Suddenly, Buffy turned to Faith and said seriously, "Faith, I need to tell you something."

"What? You're really gay and have been digging my bod for the last few years?" Faith joked, but sobered when Buffy continued to watch her solemnly.

"I'm sorry."

Faith looked at Buffy in surprise. "For what, B?"

"For not being there for you when you needed me. For not trying to understand you, and not forgiving you when you deserved it. I'm sorry."

Looking away, Faith tried to keep the tears filling her eyes from falling. She had always hoped that someday she would hear from Buffy that she was forgiven; yet she never really believed it would happen.

"Yeah, well, thanks," Faith said, trying for a nonchalance that didn't fool Buffy a bit.

They continued to patrol, staying away from any emotionally heavy topics. Faith stopped and looked around in frustration.

"Damn, it doesn't look like the dead are out tonight. How about we…"

A vampire jumped and attacked Faith, while two of his buddies went after Buffy. It didn't take long for Faith to take care of her vampire and she turned to see how Buffy did with her own. Buffy had her back to Faith – her two vamps already dust. A remark died in Faith's throat as the blonde turned around to face her sister slayer.

A knife still embedded in Buffy's stomach.

Buffy collapsed but the dark slayer caught her before she hit the ground. Cradling the older slayer in her arms, Faith started to carry her to the nearest hospital.

"Faith, stop," Buffy whispered.

"Buffy, I've got to get you to a hospital," Faith said in a panic. Buffy smiled softly.

"You said my name."

And Buffy died.

TBC

A/N: Don't kill me! REVIEW


	6. Ch 5 Goodbyes

A/N:  I want to thank all my betas, who have helped to make this update possible

Chapter 5 – Goodbyes

The funeral wasn't an extravagant affair; held out in the middle of nowhere that few people even knew about.  On a hill outside of Los Angeles, now stood two tombstones; one simply bearing, "My Watcher Merrick", and the other stating 'Buffy the Greatest Slayer Ever". 

From around the world slayers and Watchers came to pay a final tribute to one of the greatest slayers of all time – the hillside filled with hundreds of people.  But to those who stood closest to the grave, they weren't burying a legendary slayer; they were saying goodbye to a friend, a daughter, and a sister. 

A Wiccan priestess finished the ceremony and slowly Giles walked forward to address the crowd.

"I had the honour of being Buffy's Watcher for seven years – and in my eyes there has never been a greater slayer.  She was willing to sacrifice everything, even her life, to protect her friends and family, and even complete strangers.  She had the rare gift of being able to see the good in people, and brightening the lives of others just by her presence."

Giles reached into his pocket and brought out a letter.

"This was found in Buffy's room after…and it's addressed to everyone here."

Clearing his throat, he began to read.

"I'm not entirely sure how to start, so I'll just get to the point or I'll start babbling like Willow," a small bout of laughter trickled through the crowd, "Everything is going to be okay now.  I talked with the First Slayer and I found out what the problem with the Slayer line was – it was me.  I existed but I wasn't part of the line or something mystical like that, so I had to go.  I'm sorry to leave, but I know everyone can handle it.  I've watched you all the last three months, and you've all grown into wonderful slayers with long lives ahead of you.  I'm proud to have been around long enough to see it happen.  I'll see you all again, but hopefully not too soon – Buffy."

Giles slowly folded the letter back up and walked back beside Dawn, who was sobbing.  The funeral over, the people left but for the seven figures standing by the two graves making no move to leave – as if leaving would make it a reality. 

Andy walked hesitantly towards the grieving group, holding several envelopes in her hands.  She held them out and said softly, "Um, Buffy wanted me to give these to you when…um, just…here."

Faith glared at the younger girl.

"You knew, didn't you?  You fucking knew she was going to die and you didn't do anything about it!" Faith yelled, stalking towards the other girl.  Andy cringed as Faith raised her fist, but the dark slayer's arm didn't come down.  Instead, she just grabbed the letters from the other girl's hands.

"Just go."  And Andy left.

Returning to the apartment building, the Scooby gang dispersed to read their letters in privacy – not yet willing to share Buffy's last words with anyone, if ever.  The letters weren't long, but they said the important things that could never be said enough.

I forgive you.

Thank you.

Be happy.

I love you.

Good-bye.

Faith returned to her and…her room and looked around helplessly.  Though they had shared the room, Buffy had definitely left the stronger impression.  The dark slayer gently picked up Mr. Gordo and sat down on the bed.  Looking around, she realized that Andy had already left.  Anger swelled up within the eldest slayer at the thought of the new slayer.

_She knew!  She fucking knew that B was going to die and she didn't say anything.  _

Faith sighed softly.

I knew something was wrong – ever since she talked with the First Slayer B had been acting strange… Faith started at the thought.  Still holding the stuffed pig, Faith rushed out of the room to find Willow – who was cuddled up with her girlfriend in their room. "Willow! I need a favour." Willow lifted a tear-stained face from Kennedy's shoulder and looked at Faith in confusion. "Sure, Faith, with what?" "I want to talk to the First Slayer." 

Faith walked nervously through the sandy landscape – looking around curiously, never having tried to visit the First Slayer before.  The idea of asking the help of a dead Slayer a little unnerving, though at least this girl stayed dead unlike another Slayer Faith knew.  That thought brought Faith back to herself and she began to shout.

_"Hey!  First Slayer, or whatever you're called!  I need to talk with ya!"_

_Faith turned around as she shouted, and was surprised when she turned back that she was now standing in front of a small fire.  Trying not to stare at the fire – to protect her night vision – the dark slayer looked around._

_The Slayer spun around when she heard her name and gasped._

_Standing in front of her was Buffy._

_"B!"_

_The elder girl smiled gently, but then frowned. _

_"Faith, what are you doing here?  This is a place of death, you don't belong here."_

_"Neither do you!" Faith yelled before she could stop herself.  Buffy blinked, slightly surprised by the outburst._

_"I explained why in the letter…"_

_"So!  The First Slayer is wrong," Faith stepped closer to the other girl, "We do need you, and more importantly you deserve happiness.  You think I haven't noticed how happy you've been the last three months?  All that sadness you've been carrying around was gone, hell, you even looked seventeen again!"_

_Buffy giggled slightly at her counterpart's dramatics.  Then grew serious._

_"Faith, my death **was** necessary…"_

_Faith interrupted again._

_"Then let her tell me then, from wherever the hell she is hiding!" Faith shouted into the surrounding darkness.  Buffy continued to silently regard Faith, then shook her head slowly._

_"She won't be able to answer your call," she said slowly._

_"She's afraid?" the dark slayer asked, throwing a cocky smile at Buffy – but the blonde didn't smile back._

_"She's gone to the reward that awaits all slayers," Buffy said quietly, staring at the ground.  Then, staring straight into the other Slayer's eyes, she said, "I'm the First Slayer, now; she gave me her powers as the First."_

_Faith tried to say something but suddenly found she couldn't speak.  Buffy raised a hand to cup the dark girl's cheek gently._

_"It's okay…I'm okay.  And now it's time for you to go back." _

Faith felt her consciousness flow back into her body.  Slowly, she opened her eyes to see the concerned faces of her friends.  The grief had taken its toll on the group; Willow's eyes were red from crying; Xander had fixed everything in the apartment (even a few items that weren't broken); Giles' breathe gave away his late night drinking sessions.  And Dawn…secretly, she held on to the belief that her sister would come back – just like she always did.  So Dawn leaned forward with tears running down her face.

"Did you talk to the First Slayer? Can she bring Buffy back?  It was all a mistake, right?" Dawn asked hopefully – knowing even as she asked the questions what the answers would be.

Faith shook her head slowly – still reeling from her encounter with Buffy…the First Slayer.

"What happened," Giles asked gently.

Shit, what do I tell them?  Oh, you know, Buffy's dead but instead of going to heaven like last time, she's going to spend eternity as the First Slayer.  Guess I'll just do what I do best…  "The, um…First Slayer said the same things that B's letter said…that B is in heaven...and she's happy."  

…and lie.

Andy walked for a few blocks after gathering her stuff from the apartment and sat down on a bench.  A few minutes later, someone sat down beside her – but Andy didn't bother to turn her head.

"Are you sure you're not a vampire?" she asked.

"Daylight."

"…right…and you're human?"

"Pretty much."

"…huh…"

Silence.

"But you're not going to kill me…right?" Andy asked a little nervously.

"I will if you keep asking me these questions," the other answered with a smirk.

"So, where do we go now?"

"How do you feel about San Francisco?"

Andy got up off the bench, gathering her bag, and started walking – the other girl walking beside her without a moment's hesitation.

"So, Buffy, what's in San Francisco?"

The blonde slayer turned and grinned at her companion.

"Her name's Ellie."

TBC

A/N: Those of you who are confused (hopefully not too many of you), don't worry all will be explained.  And for those of you awaiting the crossover – it happens in the next chapter. 


	7. Ch 6 Meetings

A/N: Thus begins the crossover! By my calculations Cassie is eighteen and in her last year of high school, and given 'Heroes' aired in February that's about when everything is happening. Again, I'm assuming the American and the Canadian semesters work the same way (except I still don't understand how that grade point average thing works.) This is also an 'up-to-date' chapter for those of you who aren't avid Stargate fans, and are going 'Cassie who?'

As well, for those of you who read my other stories (and if you don't -- do so!) the new chapters will be up in a few days

Chapter 6 – Thoughts

Cassandra Frasier sat on her back porch, looking up at the stars. She tried to find the one that used to be her home, but it was lost amongst all the twinkling lights.

_Just like me_, she thought bitterly.

It has only been two weeks since her mom's funeral. The third parent she had to watch being buried – the second family she's lost. Cassie berated herself silently; _your entire family's not dead. There's still Sam, and Jack and Danny…_

But Cassie knew it wasn't the same. Even though Janet wasn't her birth mom, the woman had been her mom in every sense of the word. They had been a family, and now that family was dead. Janet was a doctor; she wasn't supposed to die on another planet. She was supposed to stay safe on the base.

But Janet was dead, and she wasn't coming back.

Behind her, she could hear Sam Carter working away on her computer. It was after midnight, and the Major still hadn't thought to tell Cassie to go to bed, especially since it's a school night.

Mom will have a fit… 

Tears swelled in Cassie's eyes. She kept forgetting; she'd go to tell her mom about her day; ask her mom what she thought about a sweater; ask her what's for dinner.

Ask her why she wasn't coming home.

So now home was with Sam. But Cassie knew that wouldn't last. One of these days, Jack or Daniel or even General Hammond would come knocking on her door – looking at her with sad eyes, trying to find the words to tell her another member of her family had died. Cassie has no illusions over how dangerous the work SG-1 did; after all, she did almost succeed in helping a Goa'uld wipe out the Earth – not that she knew about it at the time.

After all, she had only been twelve years old at the time Nirrti wiped out her people; all an elaborate plot to trick the SGC into taking her back to Earth with them so the naquadah bomb that Nirrti had planted in her chest would destroy the Stargate. Everyone had barely survived that attack, and there were hundred other close calls…

And one day they would all go on a mission and not come back. __

Cassie laughed softly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

_God, I'm depressing myself. It's not as if I'm dead, I have my whole future ahead of me…_

The future…something that seemed so far away at one point now seemed so close. What did she want to do with her life? Become a doctor like her mom? Try and join the SGC?

There were a hundred things she could do with her life. She had family and friends to support her, and love her.

So…why did she feel so…so…lost?

Behind her she could hear Sam starting to turn of lights, and decided she'd better head to bed as well. So lost in her thoughts as she was, she didn't notice the pair of eyes staring at her from the darkness.

Cassie got out of the car and waved good-bye to Sam. The morning had started off normal; Sam had cooked breakfast, forgetting again that she couldn't cook. Cassie had serious doubts that Sam could boil water successfully. And this woman was able to unlock the mysteries behind advanced alien technology?

But Cassie had eaten the food without comment, distracted from the taste by last night's dream. It had started like all her other dreams for the last month – about her mom. But the dream soon changed.

She was out in the woods and she knew someone was there, but Cassie couldn't see anything through the dense bush. Suddenly paths began to appear in the forest, and she could hear voices calling her. She recognized the voices instantly as her mom, and Sam, and all the others she called family and friends. Telling her what to do, what to choose, whom to be.

_Cassie covered her ears and yelled for them to be quiet but they didn't listen. This was when Cassie usually awakened in a cold sweat, laying on a tear soaked pillow. But this time she didn't awaken; instead, she heard a voice._

_"It'll be okay."_

_The girl turned around to see a new small trail; barely visible and hardly used, but there. At the opening, a blond girl sat on a rock, smiling at Cassie._

_"It'll be okay," the girl repeated._

_Cassie didn't recognize her, but she suddenly felt safe. For some reason, she believed the girl, but had to ask, "How do you know?"_

_The smile never wavered._

_"Because I heard your call"_

That was when Cassie woke up. The girl kept playing the dream over in her mind, but she couldn't understand whom the girl was. Had she just been a figment of her imagination?

AS she walked up the steps of the school, Cassie looked around for her friend, Erica Spence. Since her mom's death, Erica was the only one of her friend's that Cassie felt she could really talk to. Erica's own mom had died when she was young, so she was the only person not asking, 'Are you okay?' constantly. The two had first met had a SGC barbeque, since Erica's dad was a leader for one of the SG teams.

They had become friends instantly and Erica practically lived at Cassie's house on the weekends. Though, Cassie rarely went over to Erica's. Not that Cassie minded – there was something about Mr. Spence that unnerved Cassie. Since Erica never said anything bad about her dad, and her mom had liked him, Cassie had chalked it up to her imagination.

Cassie finally spotted her friend across the yard talking to someone. Erica turned and waved to Cassie when she heard her name, and talked to the person for a moment before catching up with the waiting girl. Cassie narrowed her eyes to get a better look, but all she could see was a girl with blonde hair.

"Who was that?" she asked as they walked to their first class.

Erica smiled and said, "Just a friend."

Cassie looked at her friend more closely. Erica was always cheerful – it was one of the reasons she was so popular (that, and the dark-haired, green-eyed girl was gorgeous) – but she was practically glowing.

"She must be more than 'just a friend' if she's got you this chipper," Cassie teased, smirking, knowing the slightly prudish girl would catch the innuendo.

But instead of getting embarrassed and stuttering like usual, Erica's smile grew.

"I was kinda…lost, and she found me."

The class started and the two girls set their minds toward trying to understand the teacher's explanations on Shakespeare. But one thought kept running through Cassie's head.

I wish someone could find me.

Cassie sat on the porch, again, and looked up at the stars. The house was dark; Sam having become so absorbed in her work that she hadn't yet realized the time. The girl thought again about Erica's friend, wondering why the girl had seemed familiar – even though Cassie couldn't get a good look at her.

Found her when she was lost, huh? I wonder if there's anyone out there who could find me?

A rustling of leaves broke Cassie out of her thoughts.

"Is there someone there?" Cassie asked nervously, edging towards the patio door.

A disembodied voice answered, "You called?"

TBC


	8. Ch 7 Roaming

A/N: This chapter hasn't been beta'd so I could get it out quicker so forgive the mistakes.

Chapter 7 -- Roaming

_You called?_

Cassie had her hand on the patio door, and her brain was telling her to get inside before whoever was out there decided to make an appearance. But at the same time, all her instincts were telling her it was safe – that the person was a friend. The teenager was frozen with indecisiveness, allowing the owner of the voice to make their appearance.

With a gasp, Cassie recognized the blonde girl from her dream as she stepped from the bush. She appeared to be about the same age, with shoulder length blond hair and green eyes that were sparkling with mischief. Within seconds the girl was on the patio and sat on the railing, watching Cassie with amusement. Cassie knew the girl wasn't a Goa'uld, but there was still something different…she didn't move like a normal human.

More like a predator.

But still, Cassie found herself sitting back down and faced the girl. Her eyebrows crinkled, wondering what she should say.

"What do you want to do?"

Cassie started at the abrupt question, and involuntarily a "Huh?" escaped her throat. The girl repeated her question patiently, the amused smiling never faltering for a moment.

"I…I don't…I don't know what you're talking about…" Cassie said hesitantly, wondering what the girl was talking about…and acting as if they were already friends.

"That's what you've been asking yourself for the last few weeks, isn't it? All you're thoughts have been about the future; about who you'll be or what you'll become; if you're decisions will cause you to lose someone else…"

Cassie's head shot up at that. She stood suddenly and moved towards the door.

"Who are you?" she demanded, ready to call Sam for help. But, just as before, they girl simply continued to smile serenely at the agitated girl.

"I'm the Last and guardian of all those that fall before me; I am the heir to the power and duty of the First," the cocked her head to the side, "and apparently just as cryptic. But you can just call me Buffy."

Sam stretched in front of her laptop and grimaced slightly as she glanced at the clock. Whenever she got into studying the physics related to the Stargate, she had a tendency to lose track of time. Guiltily, she realized that it was _way_ passed Cassie's bedtime – again – and hoped the girl had went to bed on her own. Sam sighed. There were times when Sam felt she wasn't up to the responsibility Janet had placed upon her when she gave her custody of Cassie. Facing down a mad Goa'uld with a god-complex was nowhere near as frustrating as trying to raise a teenager.

Quietly, Sam made her way to Cassie's room and looked inside. It took a moment for the empty bed to register in her mind, and even then another moment for the worry to hit. Quickly she made her way through the house, only to find every room empty. Stepping out onto the porch, she searched the dark surroundings frantically but there wasn't a sign of the teenager.

Moving inside, Sam dialled off a number by heart.

"Jack?"

"Sam? Why the hell are you calling…at three o'clock in the fucking morning?" a groggy Jack answered.

"Is Cassie there with you?"

Jack's head cleared at not only the question but also the tone of Sam's voice; he hadn't heard her so worried since the last time one of the members of SG-1 had gotten seriously injured.

"No…is she missing?" he asked, trying to remain calm. "How long has she been gone?"

"I don't know. I've been working in my study since eight, and I don't remember seeing her after that," Sam said a little guiltily, realizing that she should be spending more time with Cassie.

"All right. I'll call Daniel and General Hammond and see if they haven't heard from Cassie. Check around at her friends' places and see if any of them have heard from her. If you find her or hear anything, call me on my cell phone. I'll start looking around at any place Cassie might go."

The two SGC members hanged up the phone, both asking themselves the same question.

_Where have you disappeared to, Cassie?_

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Cassie muttered under her breath, trying to keep up with the other girl. Buffy ran through the forest as if she were born there, barely making a sound or disturbing a leaf. Cassie, on the other hand, had several scratches on her arms and who-knows-what stuck in her hair. Just when she felt that her heart would burst out her chest she suddenly found herself in a clearing.

A fire burned at its centre, and it took a moment a moment for Cassie's eyes to adjust. When they did, she let out a large gasp.

"Erica? What are you…," Cassie turned to Buffy, "You were the one she was talking to this morning…"

Looking around, Cassie noticed three other teenage girls talking. One had short bright red hair, and was casually twirling a knife around; to her left a brunette wearing obviously cutting edge fashion was painting the nails of an a girl that fit the stereotype of a nerd with glasses and long unstyled hair.

_How the hell did this group get together?_

Erica grinned and pulled her friend into a tight hug. Grabbing her hand, she dragged the bewildered girl over towards the other three.

"Everyone, this is my friend, Cassie. Cassie, this is Andy" – pointing to the red-head – "and Ellie" – the girl with glasses shyly waved her free hand -- "and this is Isabelle," – the brunette gave Cassie a quick study then returned to painting. Cassie smiled awkwardly – and with a little fear at the knife in Andy's hand – and dragged her friend out of hearing range.

"Are you nuts? What the hell are you doing out here with complete strangers?" she whispered harshly, eyeing the others warily. Erica just smiled.

"I could ask you the same thing," she said wryly. Cassie started, at the realization sunk in. Here she was in the middle of nowhere with possibly psychotic people just because a blonde girl came to her house and asked her what she wanted to do. Jack would have her head if he found out about this…

Oh crap, if Sam has snapped herself out of her work-related reverie, then she's going to realize that I'm gone.

"Erica, we've got to get out of here before Sam and your dad finds out that we're gone," she said grabbing Erica's hand and heading back the way she came, but stopped when Erica didn't budge.

"I'm not going back," she said quietly. Cassie stared at her friend in disbelief.

"What do you mean you're not going back?"

Buffy walked up behind Erica and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Show her," she said in a gentle but firm voice. Erica nodded and slowly took off her shirt. Whatever comment Cassie was going to make was lost at seeing her friend's chest and back covered in scars.

"Dad likes to drink, he says it helps him to relax. And every time he does…he hits me. At first, he always apologized in the morning, saying that it was the alcohol and that he would never do it again. But after awhile, he stopped making excuses. He would just say that I deserved it – that I brought it upon myself by not being smart enough, or a good enough housekeeper, or a good enough substitute-wife," Erica said quietly, never looking Cassie in the eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me? Anybody?"

"Dad is everyone's 'buddy'; who would believe me? Your mom and Jack both liked him, so why would you believe me either? It was just easier to stay quiet."

Erica turned to Buffy with a look of adoration.

"Then a year ago I felt something happen – it was like my body was filled with all this energy and I became faster and stronger. When dad hit me it healed overnight and it didn't hurt as much. A little while after that, I started having these dreams. In them I learned how to fight, and how not to be afraid. I was lost and Buffy found me and showed me who I am."

"And who's that?"

"I'm a Slayer."

Buffy gently pulled the dazed Cassie over to the fire and pressed on her shoulders, forcing her to sit. The fire had died down, allowing the girls to see each other clearly over the remaining flames. Cassie searched their faces for any evidence of mischief, but all she saw was determination and sincerity in their eyes.

"A Slayer is a girl who has received strength and other gifts from the Powers that Be in order to fight vampires and demons. There used to only be one Slayer at a time, and another would be called only after the current Slayer died. But now there are hundred of Slayers all over the world – just like us. Most are found through an organization called the Watcher's Council, who are then taught to fight for their protection and others. Every Slayer has her own Watcher who personally trains her, and guides her," Buffy explained.

"So where are your Watchers?" Cassie asked.

"We don't have Watchers." "We don't need a fucking Watcher."

Buffy raised an eyebrow at Andy, who settled back down and resumed her knife play.

"There are some Slayer's who have subconsciously placed protective shields around themselves – magically enforcing emotional shields they already had in place before they became Slayers. Because of that, the magic the Watchers use to find Slayers won't work. The shields don't fool me, so I find the…lost Slayers and train them."

"Magic," Cassie said in a disbelieving voice. Buffy grinned at her tone.

"Yes, it's real magic and not some Goa'uld trick."

The teenager's eyes widened in fear and shock.

"How do you know about…?" she asked in a shaky voice, wanting to run but couldn't break the intense look Buffy was giving her.

"I can find the lost Slayers because I hear them crying out for me. So before I can get to them physically, I visit their dreams; at least, a part of me that is the First Slayer does. I learn who they are and where; why they need my help…just like with you."

_My dream…_ Cassie remembered how the girl had promised everything would be all right.

"But I'm not a Slayer," she said uncertainly. "Why me?"

"Not a clue," Buffy said with a shrug, "but I'm sure there's a reason…there always is. But – no point in worrying about it now. You called, that's all I need to know."

Cassie found herself relaxing at the carefree nonchalance surrounding the others. They all gave off the vibe that they were content with who they are and where they were – and Cassie found herself envying them though she knew nothing about them.

"Normally we'd stick around for a few days and let you adjust, but we've got to get going tonight or else Erica's dad might beat her again. Do you want to come with?"

Buffy held out her hand and Cassie stared at it in astonishment. They can't possibly expect her to leave behind her life without a second thought? But at she stared into their smiling faces, she realized that they did. They didn't know her, but here they were asking for her to be apart of their life without a second thought. Could she really do the same?

"They would look for me…"

"We'll protect you for as long as you need it," Buffy replied firmly, not dropping Cassie's gaze for a second. "Even if only from those who mean well."

For some strange reason, Cassie had a flashback to the dream she had last night. All the different pathways she could follow, the different people with different dreams of her future. And the lone unbeaten path and the soft voice of the girl standing before her…

Cassie felt a grin spreading across her face.

"Why not?"

Everyone grinned and Andy threw a friendly arm across Cassie's shoulders.

"That, my honorary sister Slayer, it the best reason to do anything."

TBC


	9. Ch 8 Loss

A/N; RL Crap, 'nuff said

Chapter 8

Faith walked between the sparring Slayers; occasionally yelling out instructions and stopping a few to demonstrate various different techniques and correct stances. Even though Faith had been acting at the senior Slayer for several months, she still felt ill prepared for the job and her daily wish that Buffy was still alive. Often she would wonder how Buffy would have handled something, or if she would have said something different – better.

But Buffy wasn't around, and Faith continued to do the best she could.

Faith spotted Giles and Willow out of the corner of her eye and she dismissed the other Slayers for the day. The girls headed out of the room, laughing, leaving the three 'originals' to themselves.

"Hey, G-man, Red, where's X?" Faith asked mischievously. Giles gave a disapproving glare at the nickname and Willow just smiled.

"Xander stayed behind to look after things while Giles is here and I don't think he's ready to come back here yet," Willow answered sadly, and the others grew sombre remembering the last time they were all together was for Buffy's funeral.

The last sixth months since Buffy's dead had flown by for the dark Slayer and the other Scoobies. The Watcher's Council was pretty much up and running with Giles as head of the Council, Xander helping with the training of new Watchers and Willow in charge of finding Slayers. Luckily, because the First had targeted Watchers with Potentials, those around the world without a Potential had managed to survive. Because of that they had a surplus of Watchers ready to start training Slayers when they were found, until the current Watchers-in-training were ready.

Willow had begun a network of witches around the world who kept an eye out for Slayers. Between them, and wandering Slayers, they were finding more and more Slayers every day. Though from Willow's estimates, there weren't as many Slayers as they had first suspected. At first they had assumed the numbers would be in the thousands, but now their best guess was in the hundreds – probably no more than five hundred around the world.

Once a Slayer was found, she was given the choice of coming to New York where Faith ran the Slayer training school or Cleveland where Kennedy and Wood ran their own training centre, or a Watcher was sent out to guide and train the new Slayer. Unfortunately, there were a few Slayers that didn't choose either option and that's why Giles and Willow were in New York.

The three headed to Faith's office and they sat down to discuss the incident that had brought them together.

One month ago a coven in Russia had found a group of ten Slayers who had banded together to form a gang that was terrorizing normal humans. All attempts to reason with them had failed, and it had taken Faith and twenty Slayers to contain them without actually killing them. They had been flown to England so the Council could decide what to do with them, but that turned out not to be necessary.

"Have you figured out how those rogue Slayers lost their powers?" Faith asked, not wasting any time.

"No, not yet," Giles said calmly, his anxiety betrayed by his habit of cleaning his lenses when he is nervous.

"I've asked every coven I know, but none of them have any idea how it could have been done," Willow confessed with frustration; after a month of research they still had no idea how the rogue Slayers lost their powers during the trip from Russia to England. The Slayers had been shipped in magically enforced crates – separately – and had no content with each other or anyone else during the trip.

"Do you think it has anything to do with what happened six months ago?" Faith asked quietly, not wanting to bring up the subject of the events surrounding Buffy's death. Willow and Giles exchanged glances, and the dark Slayer knew that they had already thought of the possibility.

"We don't believe so, given the specific locality of the event," Giles said, trying to unemotional and academic as possible. Willow quickly jumped in and changed the subject.

"We do have an idea, given the recent statements from the rogue Slayers."

Faith raised an eyebrow at that.

"I thought they had lost their memories along with their powers?"

"We have managed to hypnotize a few of them with marginal success – the common thread is that they insist that 'She' took their powers. Though they retain no memory of who this 'She' is when they're awake, and we haven't been able to get any further detail using hypnosis," Giles responded.

"Well, that's great, why the fuck are you here to tell me a mythical 'she' did it?" Faith asked sarcastically, leaning back in her chair and glared at the other two.

"We believe that they may be referring to the First Slayer," Giles continued, long accustomed to Faith's antics. The dark Slayer paled slightly, and quickly looked away to compose herself before looking back. Her reaction wasn't lost on them, but now Faith was looking at them with carefully blank eyes.

"What makes you think that?"

"Given what happened with…Buffy, it would seem the First Slayer has more control of the Slayer line than she did previously," Giles and Willow exchanged another glance, "and we were hoping you could perform the ritual to visit the First Slayer again."

Faith looked at her hands, folded in her lap. She had never told them that Buffy was the new First Slayer, and never planned to. She was unsure if she wanted to talk to the First Slayer – Buffy – again. It hurt to know that after everything Buffy had done, she still had to do more – even after death. But she couldn't say that to Giles or Willow, and Faith knew she had no other excuse for not going through with the ceremony.

Faith wandered through the desert, silently kicking herself for going through with the ceremony. But Faith didn't want anyone else finding out that Buffy was the First Slayer. So here she was in the middle of metaphysical nowhere.

Twirling around, looking for the First Slayer, she stepped back only instead of stepping into sand she felt water soak through her shoes. With a curse, she turned around and gasped at the sight of the oasis before her. There were several palm trees, and a beautiful pond where there had been only sand and rocks moments before. On the other side of the water, Buffy was lying on a deck recliner in a skimpy bathing suit.

Faith forgot the situation for a moment and raked her eyes across Buffy's half-naked form in appreciation.

Buffy grinned at the other Slayer, and raised her shades onto her forehead.

"Hey Faith, fancy meeting you here," she teased the bewildered brunette.

"So, um, B…like what you've done with the place," Faith said, waving her hand to indicate the small oasis.

"Yeah, the whole 'dark and brooding fire and mystical stone ring' wasn't really me. At least this way I can work on my tan."

"B, you don't have skin to tan," Faith pointed out, to which the older girl just shrugged.

"Pull up a seat," Buffy said, and another recliner appeared. Faith laid down cautiously, still unsure about what was happening. She hadn't expected the blonde to be so…happy. "So…I assume this isn't a social visit."

"Yeah, we had a little trouble with some rogue slayers…"

"You want to know if I'm the one that took their powers away," Buffy interrupted and Faith nodded and looked at the First Slayer curiously. The blonde appeared deep in thought, but the brunette wasn't able to read her expression. Buffy sighed and sat up facing Faith, who mirrored her actions.

"Yeah, I did."

"Why? Did you think we couldn't handle it?" Faith asked.

"No…not exactly. It just," Buffy sighed heavily, "it wasn't your job. I have to look after the line. And that means making sure those who shouldn't have the power…don't."

"But who are you…" to judge, because, right, Buffy's the First Slayer now. Guess that comes with the territory.

"So is this going to happening a lot in the future, because it would save me a lot of headaches if I don't have to train as many girls," Faith smirked. Buffy laughed.

"Sorry, I can only use my powers for good," she said mischievously, then grew serious again. "Besides, I trust you and everyone else to do what's right."

Faith coughed to try and hide her embarrassment at the praise.

"So…how's being dead working for ya?"

"I'm okay, Faith, you don't have to worry about me. You also don't have to keep the secret of me being the First Slayer to yourself."

Faith shrugged.

"Didn't think it would help them if they knew. Besides, its not as if I haven't lied before."

Buffy eyed her sceptically but let it go. The two sat in a companionable silence, each simply enjoying the company of the other.

"I really missed you, B," Faith confessed finally, keeping her eyes on the water. Buffy did the same, smiling softly.

"I know. Me too."

Buffy sat on the rock, looking out over the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. Cassie watched the other girl from her seat with the other Slayers as they talked quietly by the fire. It had been a month since Cassie had joined with the small group, and she was having the time of her life.

Well, except for the demon fighting parts, though the Slayers enjoyed it. Buffy was teaching her martial arts and Cassie was now able to take on a vampire by herself – although she hoped the need wouldn't arise too often. She watched the Slayers fight and wanted more than anything else to be apart of the dance. But what she had gained most from the experience was a sense of self-confidence. All the girls were brimming with it, that she couldn't help but 'catch' it. Ever since leaving Colorado she had seen so much, and had done so much. She had, as Buffy put, 'found the fun.'

The six girls had headed north to Canada for a while, mostly for Cassie peace of mind. The alien wasn't sure what the SGC were doing to find her, but she felt safer out of the country. Though she doubted that would stop Jack O'Neill. Buffy said that the spell she had cast should protect her from any alien sensors, and even though Cassie had seen real magic, she was sceptical. But it was a month later, and still no sign of SG-1. Cassie felt a twinge of regret for the anxiety she was sure that they were feeling, but she wouldn't trade her current life for anything.

After the trip to Canada, they had headed back down to the states to drop Isabelle and Ellie off in Philadelphia. The two had learnt everything they needed to know from the older Slayer, and were missing civilization – especially Isabelle. They weren't sure how Buffy did it, but she set them up with a history: they were sisters whose parents had been killed and they had run away from the orphanage where they were staying. They (Buffy, Andy, Erica, and Cassie) had stayed in the area until a Slayer found them and then had headed off again.

Andy hadn't seemed sad after their companions left, even though Cassie and Erica were close to tears. When asked, Andy just shrugged and said she was used to it. Buffy had simply smiled, and stared vacantly off into space – just like she was doing now.

Noticing where Cassie's eyes were straying, Andy spoke up.

"She's probably talking with someone."

"Huh?" Cassie asked, abruptly bringing her mind back to the others.

"When she stares off like that. Sometimes to talking to someone like us who we haven't found yet, or looking in on those who have left, or she's focusing on the part of her that's the First Slayer."

Cassie turned to watch the Slayer some more. Buffy had explained what she was, but Cassie still didn't know if she understood it completely. Buffy was human – but not entirely since she almost couldn't be killed. She was the First Slayer and in the spiritual realm, but at the same time she was here in the physical world. How Buffy could be in two places at once without going insane was beyond Cassie.

Buffy shook her head slightly and made her way back towards the group, a sad smile on her face.

"'Sall good?" Andy asked, and the others turned concerned looks.

"Yeah. Someone was a little concerned because I took away the Slayer powers from some girls."

Cassie raised her eyebrows at that.

"You can take the Slayer power away?" Buffy nodded and the others looked surprised. Cassie thought about that for a moment.

"Could I…could you make me a Slayer?" Cassie asked hesitantly. Buffy tilted her head to the side, and a thoughtful look crossed her face.

"I don't know. Maybe, if your body could handle the power without burning itself out; that's the only real difference between a Potential and a normal human." The Slayer grew silent once more, thinking hard. Intense eyes focused on Cassie. "If I could, there would almost certainly be a trade-off."

Holding the Slayer's powerful gaze, Cassie made up her mind – though in reality, she had made this choice a month ago when she followed Buffy for the first time.

"It would be worth it."

It had taken some time to convince Giles and Willow that the First Slayer wasn't going to be going around taking away Slayer's powers – especially since they thought the First Slayer was still the psycho girl that had almost killed them. Faith was still keeping the fact that Buffy was the First Slayer a secret, despite Buffy giving her permission to tell.

Taking advantage of the rare opportunity of having the three heads of the Council in the same city, Giles and Willow decided to stay for a few weeks and discuss some policies – much to Faith's annoyance. She didn't mind training the Slayers, but she definitely didn't like the paperwork the others kept sending her way. Unfortunately, that's the position the Head Slayer found herself in.

Faith felt her head about to explode when one of the younger Slayers entered the dining hall where the three had commandeered. Hopefully, Faith asked if she was needed for anything. The girl looked apologetically at the Slayer, and turned to Giles.

"Mr. Giles, there are some people here to see you."

Giles eyes widened in surprise, and rose to his feet as the girl let two men and one woman into the room. The expression remained on his face as he recognized the one man.

"Professor Jackson? This is quite a surprise."

The two shook hands and Daniel Jackson turned to introduce his companions.

"These are my friends Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter. This is Rupert Giles." They shook hands and Giles turned and introduced Faith and Willow, then indicated for them to sit as he gathered up the scattered papers.

"Since I'm sure this isn't a social visit, what can I do for you?" Giles asked, wondering what the archaeologist would want from him. He had still been working as the curator of the British Museum when he had last seen Daniel Jackson. In fact, Dr. Jackson had basically disappeared from the academic sphere years ago.

"Well, I'd heard from mutual acquaintances about your new position as head of an international organization and they said that you might be able to help us," Daniel started when Jack interrupted.

"We need help finding someone."

Daniel glared at Jack and continued. "As Jack so eloquently put it, we do need your help."

"Who do you want us to find?" Willow asked curiously.

"Our goddaughter, Cassie and her best friend Erica. They disappeared a month ago without a trace."

"Did they run?" Faith asked, eyeing the three suspiciously. The older man was setting off her Slayer senses, and she would bet anything he was military. The woman's eyes flashed with indignation but Daniel interject smoothly before his friends could reply.

"They didn't take anything with them, so we don't think so. But if they were kidnapped, we haven't had any contact from the kidnappers."

"But why come to me?" Giles asked in confusion.

"We've used all our resources and have come up with nothing," Jack replied in a tone that implied that their resources were extensive, "Danny here talked to some old friends and they said to talk to you."

The three looked at each other, indecision on their faces.

"Please," Sam begged.

Giles sighed and nodded.

"We'll need as much information as possible about the girls, as well as a few articles of clothing."

Jack looked dubious but the other two nodded. Giles had just invited them to stay for supper when a girl poked her head in the doorway.

"Faith! We got two new girls, where do you want me to put them?"

Faith thought for a moment.

"Put them in 23b and tell them I want to meet with them once they've settled in. Oh, where are they from and what are their names?"

"Danielle found them in Philadelphia – I think their names are Isabelle and Ellie."

TBC


End file.
